CALIFORNIA RESEARCH BUREAUCALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARYStudies in the News

California -- One Hundred and Fifty Years Ago

November 1851 - "In November 1851, Antonio Garra, a chief of the Cupenos (a tribe near the Warner's Ranch area of San Diego County), incited his people to fight to gain their independence, (because) ... the county's first sheriff, Hungarian Count Agoston Haraszthy, the son of Councilman Charles Haraszthy, attempted, as sheriff, to collect taxes from San Diego's native population. " The Journal of San Diego History (October 1955)

November 1851 - "Point Loma Light -- The light was first displayed at sunset of November 15, 1851. For the next thirty-six years, it guided mariners home from the sea. One change was made when increased traffic made improvements desirable, and the fixed white light was replaced by a revolving red-and-white one, actuated by weights which fell down the center of the stair well. " The Journal of San Diego History (October 1955)

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

Items in the State Library collection can be checked out to state officials and staff.

Access to all materials listed will be provided by the State Information Reference Center, either by e-mail to cslsirc@library.ca.gov or by calling 654-0261.

["The high-tech and entertainment sectors should help California's economy rebound from its deepest slump in years, panelists at a Milken Institute conference on the state's economic health said.... The concept of high-speed connections throughout the state, with what's perceived as infinite bandwidth, could propel California's economy beyond its current potential." Los Angeles Daily News (November 7, 2001) A1.]

["The committee was given the charge ... to explore ways to integrate theory and findings from diverse disciplines to increase understanding of drug abuse and the operation of drug markets. The committee's general findings are presented in this final report."]

["A new report shows that innovative juvenile-justice initiatives, implemented by several state and local jurisdictions, are meeting with success in reducing adolescent crime and improving public safety." (JTO Direct October 31, 2001)1.]

["After School No-Brainer: The prime time for juvenile crime is from 2 to 6 p.m.... According to the organization, there are about 440,000 students in government-funded after-school programs. But there are another 1.2 million youngsters ages 5 to 14 who need to be in them.... Fight Crime's survey found that the rate of students having to repeat grades was cut in half for those in after-school programs." Los Angeles Times (September 23, 2001) 18.]

["Crime Plunges in State's Cities: Crime rates in California cities have plummeted more than in other parts of the country.... The state's best-known cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, all saw significant drops in their combined violent and property crime index, as did inland areas." Daily News of Los Angeles (October 29, 2001) N6.]

Salvadoran American: A Profile. By David E. Hayes-Bautista and others, Center for the Study of Latino Health & Culture, University of California at Los Angeles. (The Center, Los Angeles, California) [2001.] 20 p.

["The U.S. Census has had difficulty finding the right formula to count Latinos other than those of Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican origin in the United States.... There is suspicion that many Latinos did not identify themselves specifically as being of Salvadoran origin, but used the residual category of 'Other Hispanic' instead. If this is the case there is likely an undercount in the 2000 census.... The data in this profile give a portrait of the Salvadoran-American community ... from many sources: the 2000 census, the 1999 Current Population Survey and the 2000 UCLA Social Attitudes Survey (for Los Angeles County only)."]

["California's farm economy is hurting.... The problems have been developing for several years, even as the state's general economy was booming.... The Task Force [was formed] to examine steps the organization can take to deal with the economic problems.... The committee highlighted several priority areas, including: energy, establishing a safety net for financially stressed commodities, trade, public awareness programs, water, taxes and regulatory reform. The committee' recommendations follow."]

["The Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs); An Emerging Player in Low Income Communities: The CDCU may be the best replicable model for providing affordable capital and financial services in low-income and very low-income areas.... So, why aren't there more CDCUs? ... [Listed] are numerous steps that can be taken to substantially expand both the reach and the delivery capacity of these financial platforms."]

[“Home loans still aren't equally distributed among different ethnic groups…. Despite the gains in minority lending, disparities remain. Last year, the approval rate for Hispanics seeking conventional loans was 64.8 percent, well below the 76.9 percent rate for whites and the 75.2 percent rate for Asians. The gap persisted even between Hispanics, whites and Asians with similar incomes.” The Orange County Register (October 7, 2001) B1.]

["The aim of the Center is to explore a roster of cultural issues that affect the nation's well-being -- issues that should be on the horizon of policymakers, public and private, and at a national, state and local level... This issue paper provides an overview, historical analysis and legal implications of copyright law for the creative sector and cultural organizations."]

["Written by leading academic, corporate and governmental research officials, the report reinforces the belief that university-industry coziness has helped the United States retain world leadership in fields such as computing, software, telecommunications and biotechnology. But as ties between the boardroom and the classroom have increased, so have concerns about potential conflicts and instances of outright scandal.... The report takes the position that the benefits of academic-industrial partnerships outweigh the dangers, provided universities avoid the abuses critics have identified."]

Preparing the Workers of Tomorrow: A Report on Early Learning. By the Child Care Action Campaign. (The Campaign, Washington, DC) 2001. 8 p.

["Researchers have found that children's language skills can be improved through practices commonly found in quality child care and preschool classrooms. These practices help young children learn how to ask questions, request, get attention, describe, create extended narratives and explanations, and use conversation."]

["Motivated Students Miss AP, IB Opportunities: U.S. Education Department senior researcher Clifford Adelman studied a cohort of 8,700 students and discovered those most likely to finish college were not those with the highest high school grades or test scores, but those who had taken the most difficult courses in high school." Washington Post (October 30, 2001) 1.]

["That afterschool programs improve reading is supported by several major studies.... In 1998, the foundation entered into an unusual private-public partnership with the U.S. Department of Education to provide grants for training, leadership development ... to support the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Initiative.... To date, there have been more than 900 federal grants made to support programs in more than 3,600 schools nationwide. That number is expected to grow to more than 7,000 in 2001."]

["The study finds that the impressive success of Department of Defense schools in achieving high academic standards rests on a combination of in-school and out-of-school factors. The authors identify important policy implications for state and local education policymakers. They make policy recommendations based on their findings."]

Clean Air Policy: A Primer on State Implementation Plans. By Christie Rewey, National Conference of State Legislatures. State Legislative Report. Vol. 26, No. 9. (NCSL, Denver, Colorado) September 2001. 19 p.

["State Implementation Plans (SIPs)... outline how the state plans to meet or maintain conformity to federal air quality requirements.... It is helpful for state legislators to have an understanding of the origins, intentions and contents of these documents, which form a critical component of a state's air quality plans and frequently can have implications for growth and economic activity. Many states also require state legislative involvement in the design and finalization of SIPs."]

["This study looked at the uses of water in three different sectors -- agriculutral, urban and natural -- as a means of distinguishing between different uses of water in the delta region.... Urban water use accounted for about 2% of total regional water consumption."]

Challenges Facing Gay and Lesbian Families: The Pros and Cons of Civil Union: AB 1338 (Koretz): An Informational Hearing. Briefing Papers. By the Assembly on the Judiciary, California Legislature. (The Committee, Sacramento, California) October 24, 2001. Various pagings.

[Includes: "A Primer on Civil Unions;" "Who Can Marry in California?" "Use of Private Contractual Agreements to Provide Rights to Same-Sex Couples;" "Congressional Action: The Defense of Marriage Act - No Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages;" "Proposition 22: California's Defense of Marriage Act;" "What Are Other States Doing?" "What Are Other Countries Doing?" "The California Family Protection Act of 2001;" and "The Vermont Guide to Civil Unions."]

["In this policy brief, Christopher Magee examines the link between campaign donations and legislator's actions.... Magee's results suggest that political action committees donate campaign funds in order to affect the outcome of the election by increasing the challengers' chances of winning. Campaign contributions received by challengers have a large impact on the election outcome but do not seem to affect the challengers' policy stances."]

[The research group focused its analysis on the effects of one key component of the bills -- the corporate expensing and depreciation rules -- and experts say the overall cost to state coffers could be even larger when other tax changes are factored in." Star Tribune (October 31, 2001) 6B.]

["Some state policy-makers apparently believe that from a macroeconomic perspective, reducing spending is preferable to raising taxes.... Economic analysis suggests that tax increases would not be more harmful to the economy than spending reductions.... Some of the tax increase would result in reduced saving rather than reduced consumption."]

["A new study said state revenue losses this year due to missed sales taxes on e-commerce were significantly higher than previously estimated and would continue to climb.... The study said states would lose $13.3 billion in revenue this year, 41% more than an earlier U. of Tenn. study had predicted.... The difference, co-author Donald Bruce said, is the rise in business-to-business commerce." Washington Internet Daily (October 3, 2001) 1.]

["California's state government faces its steepest decline in state revenues since World War II, the state's legislative analyst said.... (Legislative Analyst Elizabeth) Hill predicts that revenue shortages, estimated at 15 percent short during the next two budget years, could linger until 2007. But she also predicted the recession could lift next spring. If it lasts until autumn, she said, the state's revenue problem may worsen by up to $4 billion." Sacramento Bee (November 14, 2001) online.]

Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. By the Committee on Quality of Health Care in America, Institute of Medicine. (National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 2001) 337 p.

["The report ... [which] was met with a unified front from physician groups ... says key things need to happen if health care quality is to substantially improve. It must become more patient centered, efforts should be focused on treating chronic conditions and technology must play a much more significant role in health care communications and delivery." American Medical News (March 19, 2001) 1.]

["The proportion of Medicaid costs that the federal government bears is declining in more than half the states in fiscal year 2002.... The Medicaid matching rate is dropping for 29 states because their economies improved in the late 1990s.... The reductions ... will exacerbate states' weakening fiscal status and increase the likelihood that they will act in the middle of a downturn to scale back their Medicaid programs."]

["Many states are considering some cuts to Medicaid this year and predict further cuts next year. A survey of 20 states by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured found that governors have directed Medicaid officials in more than half the states surveyed to prepare cost-saving proposals." Pittsburgh Post (October 30, 2001) A6.]

["This report focuses on children raised by kinship caregivers, recognizing that it is a growing population with a range of special physical and mental health needs. It is also a growing population of children that is often overlooked, in some cases inadvertantly, in Medicaid and CHIP policy development, implementation, and outreach."]

["Despite the billions of dollars in crops they harvest every year, immigrant farm workers from Mexico would be healthier in the long term if they stayed south of the border..."As we see it, the lifestyle of farm workers, which is driven by work and poverty, translates into a deterioration of their health status due to poor access to health care, a failure of preventive education and their own diets," said Don Villarejo, principal researcher." Sacramento Bee (October 29, 2001) A1.]

["Gap in Home Values Studied; Black Owners' Houses Worth 30% Less Than Whites' in Region: The gap in the value of homes owned by blacks and whites in the Baltimore region is among the greatest of any in the country's 100 largest metropolitan areas, a new study shows.... The study says the variations were the result of patterns of racial discrimination." Baltimore Sun (November 1, 2001) 1B.]

["This report explores the current subsidized child care system and offers an initial response to some of the options presented in the Governor's Administrative Review.... While the report responds to the options presented in the Administrative Review, we hope it will also be a useful resource as advocates and policy makers develop new options."]

["This case study provides an in-depth description of the Families in Transition (FIT) model for serving hard-to-serve families and the outcomes FIT participants have achieved. The study utilizes data from two main sources: qualitative data from interviews with program staff and clients; and date from FIT's client database and tracking system."]

["This paper evaluates the extent to which the National Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) serves as a model for more effective trade and environmental institutions by examining the institution's role in abating industrial pollution in Mexico. The environmental costs of trade-led economic growth in Mexico have remained high in the post-NAFTA period."]

["In an effort to reduce the threat of terrorists slipping into the country, immigration and Customs officials have tightened the nation's northern and southern borders, prompting local and state officials to call for increased border staffing to ease the flow of goods and people. At stake is the economic health of states, regions and industries dependent on open borders for survival."]

Military Order: Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism. By George W. Bush, President. (Office of the Press Secretary, Washington, DC) November 13, 2001. 5 p.

["President Bush signed an order allowing special military tribunals to try foreigners charged with terrorism.... At the same time, the Justice Department has asked law enforcement authorities across the country to pick up and question 5,000 men, most from Middle Eastern countries, who entered the country legally in the last two years.... The people being sought are not believed to be terrorism suspects, and they will not be placed under arrest, an official said. The interviews are intended to be voluntary." New York Times (November 14, 2001) A1.]

["In the report, Navarro warned government leaders to be cautious in their fiscal and monetary policies.... The report measured the costs of the attacks in such areas as property damage, increased airline security, lost economic output, subsequent bailouts of the airlines and reduced tax revenues. Property damage will exceed $10 billion and, in the days immediately following the attacks, $6.4 billion was lost in advertising, airline and hotel revenues, the report said." Associated Press State & Local Wire (November 8, 2001) 1.]

["The International Registration Plan (IRP) is an agreement between the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia and 10 Canadian provinces that facilitates cooperation regarding the registration of commercial vehicles.... This report examines the legal relationship established by the IRP and the consequences of federal legislation on the agreement.... To clarify issues examined by this report, four broad recommendations are made."]

[The following studies, reports, and documents have been ordered or requested, but have not yet arrived. Requests may be placed, and copies will be provided when the material arrives.]

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

DRUGS

Drug War Heresies: An Agnostic Look at the Legalization Debate. By Robert J. McCann, University of California, Berkeley and Peter Reuter, University of Maryland. (Cambridge University Press, New York, New York) 2001. 464 p.

["In a major new book, Robert MacCoun, who teaches law and public policy at UC Berkeley, and Peter Reuter of the University of Maryland point out that depenalizing is not the same as legalization. It simply can mean far more discretion in enforcement, as the justice system already does on crimes such as prostitution and gambling. Where such policies are wisely pursued, McCoun's and Reuter's voluminous data show no significant increase in use." Sacramento Bee (November 7, 2001) B7. NOTE: Drug War Heresies ... will be available for three day loan.]

Raising Minority Academic Achievement: A Compendium of Education Programs and Practices. By Donna James and others, American Youth Policy Forum. (The Forum, Washington DC) 2001.

["The ... Compendium ... is the culmination of a 22-month effort to identify, summarize and analyze evaluations of school and youth programs that show gains for minority youth across a broad range of acacemic achievement indicators from early childhood though advanced postsecondary study....The report also aims to provide information that can be used to evaluate, design, implement and advocate practices effective in raising minority academic achievement."]

["According to the report, 80 percent of those uninsured are from working families, immigrants make up only a small percentage of the total, and the lack of insurance can compromise a person's health. The report is the first of a series of six reports the group will release during the next two years to find out who is uninsured and why, and how the problem can be solved." San Francisco Chronicle (October 12 2001. B1. NOTE: Coverage Matters ... will be available for three day loan.]

["In this book [the authors] review research evaluating WIC's effectiveness and conlude that the program's overall benefits are modest at best. However, instead of recommending that WIC be abandoned or cut, [they] call for a sustained effort it make it more effective. The volume contains a series of recommended policy and programmatic changes and concludes with comments from five leading experts on the program." AEI Book Summary (October 2001) 1.]